A Voice From Once Heard

A voice from once heard that one should never again get wrong
The familiar karrawang calls of the pied currawong
They can be heard calling in flocks at any time of year
And often when you hear them singing you know rain is near
On the nestlings of smaller birds they are known to prey
And farmers and gardeners and orchardists of them never have nice things to say
Since of noxious weeds such as mistletoe and prickly pear they eat the fruit and seed
And in so doing introduce in their droppings many an unwelcome weed
But currawong were centuries in Australia before noxious weeds with Europeans came
And birds for what they do eat are surely not to blame
For noxious weed infestation since humans introduced them from elsewhere
Most plants in their natural environment ought to be left there
When the currawong call in flocks one can safely say
That the storms that bring heavy rain are not far away.